Official Summary Text
SB1126 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet
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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session
FACT SHEET FOR
S.B. 1126
DCS caseworkers;
schools; required disclosures
Purpose
Requires a
school, on request by a Department of Child Safety (DCS) caseworker, to
identify any person who has withdrawn a pupil from the school and any school
that has requested a pupil's education records, and to provide the DCS
caseworker any other requested information or records relating to a pupil who
was enrolled at the school. Prohibits a public or private school from
prohibiting any school employee, contractor or volunteer from speaking to a DCS
caseworker who is investigating an allegation of abuse or neglect.
Background
DCS was
established with the primary purpose of protecting children
. Required DCS duties necessary to achieve that purpose
include
: 1) investigating reports of abuse and neglect;
2) assessing, promoting and supporting the safety of a child in a safe and
stable family; 3) working cooperatively with law enforcement regarding reports
that include criminal conduct allegations; and 4) without compromising child
safety, coordinating services to achieve and maintain permanency on behalf of
the child, strengthen the family and provide child-safety prevention,
intervention and treatment services (
A.R.S. � 8-451
).
The federal
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and associated federal regulations
outline requirements and procedures relating to the right to inspect and review
educational records and the release of, or access to, these records,
instructional materials or other information. An educational agency may
disclose personally identifiable information from an education record to
appropriate parties, including parents of an eligible pupil, in connection with
an emergency if knowledge of the information is necessary to protect the health
or safety of the pupil or other individuals. An educational agency may take
into account the totality of the circumstances pertaining to a threat to the
health or safety of a pupil or other individuals and, if the educational agency
determines that there is an articulable and significant threat, may disclose
information from education records to any person whose knowledge of the
information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the pupil or other
individuals (
20
U.S.C. � 1232(g)
;
34
C.F.R. � 99.36
).
There is no
anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
Provisions
1.
Requires
a school, on request by a DCS caseworker, to:
a)
identify any person who has withdrawn a pupil from school, according to
the pupil's educational records, and any school that has requested a pupil's
education records; and
b)
provide the DCS caseworker any other requested information or records
relating to a pupil who is, or was, enrolled at the school.�
2.
Prohibits a public or private school from prohibiting any school
employee, contractor or volunteer from speaking to a DCS caseworker who is
investigating an allegation of abuse or neglect.
3.
Makes technical changes.
4.
Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 26, 2026
MH/SM/hk
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
Chapter 0028 - 572R - S Ver of SB1126
Senate Engrossed
DCS caseworkers;
schools; required disclosures
State of Arizona
Senate
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
CHAPTER 28
SENATE BILL 1126
AN
ACT
amending section 15-141, Arizona
Revised Statutes; relating to educational records.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 15-141, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE
15-141
.
Educational records; injunction; special action; allowable
release of records; court procedures
A. The right to inspect and review educational
records and the release of or access to these records, other information or
instructional materials is governed by federal law in the family educational
rights
and privacy
rights
act of 1974 (20
United States Code sections 1232g, 1232h and 1232i), and federal regulations
issued pursuant to
such
that
act.
B. In addition to the enforcement procedures
provided in the family educational
rights
and privacy
rights
act of 1974, the superior court may grant injunctive or
special action relief if any educational agency or institution or an officer or
employee of
such
an agency or institution fails to comply
with the act regardless of whether the agency or institution is the recipient
of any federal funds subject to termination pursuant to the act or whether
administrative remedies through any federal agency have been exhausted.
C. Notwithstanding any financial debt owed by the
pupil, the governing board of a school district shall release to the department
of juvenile corrections all educational records relating to a pupil who is
awarded to the department of juvenile corrections within ten working days after
the date the request is received.
D. A juvenile court may require a school district to
provide the court with the educational records of a juvenile who is accused of
committing a delinquent or incorrigible act before the juvenile is
adjudicated. The educational records
shall
must
include the juvenile's cumulative file and discipline file
and, if applicable, records that are compiled pursuant to the individuals with
disabilities education act (P.L. 91-230; 84 Stat. 175; 20 United
States Code section 1400) and the rehabilitation act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112;
87 Stat. 394; 29 United States Code section 794). The presiding
judge of the juvenile court shall adopt procedures for the transmission of the
educational records from the school district to the juvenile
court. The disclosure of the educational records
shall
must
comply with the family educational
rights
and privacy
rights
act of 1974 (20 United States
Code section 1232g) and
shall
must
ensure
the ability of the juvenile court to effectively serve, before adjudication,
the juvenile whose records are released.
Nothing in
This subsection
shall be considered to
does
not
prevent the juvenile court from adjudicating a juvenile
prior to
before
receiving educational
records pursuant to this subsection.
E. A school district may release pupil attendance,
disciplinary and other educational records to a law enforcement agency and
county attorney pursuant to an intergovernmental agreement among the school
district, law enforcement agency, county attorney and other state, local or
tribal government agencies to create a local or tribal governmental juvenile
justice network for the purpose of:
1. Providing appropriate programs and services to
intervene with juveniles currently involved in the juvenile justice system.
2. Providing appropriate programs and services
designed to deter at-risk juveniles from dropping out of school or
engaging in
other delinquent behavior.
3. Increasing the safety and security of the
community and its children by reducing juvenile crime.
F. Educational records provided pursuant to an
intergovernmental agreement entered into pursuant to subsection E
of this section
shall be used solely for the purposes of the
agreement and shall not be disclosed to any other party, except as provided by
law.
G. In accordance with the family
educational rights and privacy act of 1974 and regulations adopted pursuant to
that act, on request by a department of child safety caseworker, a school shall
both:
1. Identify the following to the
caseworker:
(
a
) any school
that has requested a pupil's educational records.
(
b
) any person
who has withdrawn a pupil from school, according to the pupil's educational
records.
2. Provide to the caseworker any
other requested information or records relating to a pupil who is or was
enrolled at the school.
H. A public school or private school
may not prohibit any school employee, contractor or volunteer from speaking to
a department of child safety caseworker who is investigating an allegation of
abuse or neglect.
END_STATUTE
APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR APRIL 9, 2026.
FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE APRIL 9, 2026.